Splunk partners with ASD to boost cyber intelligence sharing
Splunk has partnered with the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) to deliver a new plug-in that integrates its Enterprise Security solution with ASD's Cyber Threat Intelligence Sharing (CTIS) platform.
The launch of this integration enables Splunk customers who are also participants in ASD's CTIS community to share and receive cyber threat intelligence more efficiently. CTIS is designed as a two-way platform, providing the ability for government agencies and industry partners to disseminate and receive information about malicious cyber activity rapidly.
From July 2025, the use of the CTIS platform will be mandatory for all Australian federal government agencies. The new Splunk plug-in will support agencies in achieving compliance with this requirement, while also allowing them to enhance their cybersecurity posture through improved threat detection capabilities and faster incident response. According to Splunk, it is only the second company to deliver a CTIS integration in partnership with ASD to date.
The context for this development is an environment in which unplanned downtime is estimated to be costing the Australian economy AUD $86 billion annually, and only a small proportion of organisations - just 3% - are described as being fully cyber-ready.
"Recent research shows only 3% of Australian organisations have reached the mature level of readiness to withstand today's cyber threats, and unplanned downtime is costing our economy an estimated AU$86 billion a year," said Marc Caltabiano, Group Vice President, Australia and New Zealand, at Splunk. "As cybersecurity becomes central to economic security and AI continues to reshape the threat landscape, we must help our partners across government and industry build resilience and meet regulatory requirements. This integration with ASD's platform equips our customers with the intelligence to protect essential services and respond decisively as attacks grow in speed and sophistication."
The CTIS plug-in is not limited to government customers. Private sector organisations, particularly those operating critical infrastructure, are also able to make use of the plugin. This is intended to provide a more accessible way for non-government entities to participate in national cyber threat intelligence sharing and strengthen their own cyber defences accordingly.
Underlying this integration is Splunk Enterprise Security, its data-driven security operations platform. This platform aims to deliver unified workflows, contextual intelligence, and automation functions that help organisations make improvements to their security operations and better meet compliance obligations.
"Strengthening Australia's cybersecurity capability is critical to our national economy and defences. No person, organisation or entity is immune from a cyber-attack, but through closer partnerships between governments and the private sector we can collectively join forces to tackle cyber threats to make Australia a harder target" said Stephanie Crowe, Head of ASD's Australian Cyber Security Centre.
Splunk has also achieved an IRAP PROTECTED assessment for its Observability Cloud platform, bringing its count to 20 IRAP-assessed offerings. The Information Security Registered Assessors Programme (IRAP) assessment matches platforms against Australian government security requirements. The achievement is highlighted by the company as providing government agencies with increased confidence regarding its security standards and compliance.
Through the use of the Observability Cloud, agencies are intended to benefit from real-time visibility and the ability to respond to incidents more quickly. The platform is designed to help ensure the continuity of digital services and support public sector organisations in delivering outcomes to the public.
"Protecting Australia's digital future is central to our national security and resilience, and government agencies need solutions built for their unique mission," said Sarah Sloan, Senior Director, Government Strategy, APAC, at Splunk. "Observability gives agencies the visibility and insight they need to protect critical assets, and ensure uninterrupted services that millions of Australians depend on every day. Splunk is committed to supporting the government with secure, scalable platforms that empower agencies to act with speed and confidence, while sustaining citizen trust."
With threat intelligence sharing becoming mandatory across the federal government next year, Splunk's new partnership with ASD aims to address compliance requirements and provide both public and private sector organisations with platforms for faster, collective defence against cyber threats.
